Packaging stations are known, in which stacks of goods, preferably stacks of journals, are hooped with a packaging tape, i.e. the packaging tape is slung once around the stack of goods. The ends of the packaging tape are connected with each other. Such packaging stations are also designated as hooping stations, since formerly metal sheet tapes were preferably used as packaging tape. Since the packaging tape is to hold the stack of goods tightly together, the tape must be tensioned before the two ends are connected, and this tensioning must be the more distinct, the softer, i.e. the more compressible, the goods are that form the stack. Especially in the case of journals having advertising material inserted in their middle only, the stack of goods is compressed strongly and in particular non-uniformly compressed upon tensioning.
Tensioning devices are known to have the tape gripped by means of a clamping device and then tensioned by means of a lever and by a path length limited by the maximum lever travelling path. Further tensioning devices are known, with which the tape is pressed against a tensioning disk by means of one or several rolls. No sufficiently strong tensioning forces can thus be achieved.